“Going forward, U.S. engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate our withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.”
The Trump administration has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization.
State Secretary Marco Rubio and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a joint statement:
Today, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), freeing itself from its constraints, as President Trump promised on his first day in office by signing E.O. 14155. This action responds to the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to rectify the harm from those failures inflicted on the American people. Promises made, promises kept.
Like many international organizations, the WHO abandoned its core mission and acted repeatedly against the interests of the United States. Although the United States was a founding member and the WHO’s largest financial contributor, the organization pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests. In doing so, the WHO obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information that could have saved American lives and then concealed those failures under the pretext of acting “in the interest of public health.”
Leslie wrote about the executive order after Trump signed it. She pointed out the strained relationship between Trump and WHO, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leslie did a great job documenting WHO’s disastrous behavior during and after the pandemic.
“Going forward, U.S. engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate our withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people,” added Rubio and Kennedy. “All U.S. funding for, and staffing of, WHO initiatives has ceased.”
I mean, WHO didn’t even declare the end of the COVID pandemic until May 2023.
Rubio and Kennedy said WHO even trashed America on the way out by not returning the flag, claiming it didn’t approve the withdrawal, and insisting America owes it money.
“From our days as its primary founder, primary financial backer, and primary champion until now, our final day, the insults to America continue,” stated the two secretaries.
Yes, America helped the United Nations create WHO. Of course, America was WHO’s biggest donor.
NewsMax reported that “the U.S. pays $111 million a year in member dues to the WHO and roughly $570 million more in annual voluntary contributions.”
My goodness. What a waste of money.
Does this mean America will isolate itself? No:
The United States will continue to lead the world in public health, saving millions of lives and protecting Americans at home by preventing infectious disease threats from reaching our shores while advancing global health security through direct, bilateral, and results-driven partnerships. We will continue to work with countries and trusted health institutions to share best practices, strengthen preparedness, and protect our communities through a more focused, transparent, and effective model which delivers real outcomes rather than the bloated and inefficient bureaucracy of the WHO.
I mean, I don’t trust the CDC, NIH, and the FDA all that much. Why would I trust WHO?
Well, as a libertarian, I don’t trust the government, so my feelings towards those three aren’t a surprise!